This guide explains how to configure automatic call pick-up in CloudTalk, where to find the setting, and what to check if calls are still being answered automatically even when the feature is turned off.
User level: Admin, Agent, Supervisor
What Automatic Call Pick-Up Does
When enabled, the automatic call pick-up setting causes CloudTalk Phone to answer an incoming call as soon as it arrives. The call connects immediately after ringing (or after a short configurable delay), which is useful in high-volume contact centre environphonements where agents should always be ready to take the next call without any extra steps.
When set to Disabled, the expected behaviour is that incoming calls ring normally and the agent must manually accept them by clicking the Answer button.
Where to Find the Setting
The setting exists in three places and they interact with each other. The company-level setting acts as the default; user-level settings override it for individual agents; the Phone app reflects whatever the Dashboard has configured.
Company Level
This is the account-wide default that applies to all users who are set to Use company settings.
Go to Dashboard > Account > Settings
Scroll to the Automatic Pickups section
Configure the two dropdowns separately:
Automatically pick up dialed calls: for calls from Power Dialer and API
Automatically pick up inbound calls: for incoming calls from customers
Available options at company level:
Option | What it means |
Users can define themselves | Each agent can configure their own preference from their user settings or the Phone app. |
Off | Auto pick-up is disabled for everyone using company settings. |
1 / 2 / 5 / 10 seconds | Calls are automatically answered after the selected delay for all users using company settings. |
User Level
Admins can override the company default for individual users. This takes precedence over the company-level setting.
Go to Dashboard > Users
Click on the relevant user
Open the Advanced settings tab
Find the Automatically pick up dialed calls and Automatically pick up inbound calls dropdowns and set them as needed
Save your changes
Available options at user level:
Option | What it means |
Use company settings | The user inherits the company-level setting. This is the default for most users. |
Users can define themselves | The agent can set their own preference from the Phone app. |
Off | Auto pick-up is disabled for this user, regardless of the company setting. |
1 / 2 / 5 / 10 seconds | Calls are automatically answered after the selected delay for this user. |
Changes made in the Dashboard apply the next time the user logs in or refreshes their session. Ask the agent to log out and back in if a change is not taking effect.
CloudTalk Phone App
Agents can view and adjust their own auto pick-up preferences directly from the Phone app, but only if the company or user setting is set to Users can define themselves. If an admin has set a specific value (Off or a time delay), the Phone app will reflect that and the agent cannot override it.
To find it in the app:
Open CloudTalk Phone
Go to Settings > Calling > Call automation
Adjust Automatically pick up "dialed" calls (toggle) and Automatically pick up inbound calls (dropdown) as needed
What to Do When Calls Are Still Being Answered Automatically
If you have turned off automatic call pick-up but calls are still being answered without agent input, work through the following checks in order.
Confirm the Setting Is Saved and the Session Is Refreshed
A common cause is that the Dashboard setting was changed but the agent's active session has not yet picked it up.
Ask the agent to fully log out of CloudTalk Phone and log back in.
If using the web phone, clear the browser cache and reload.
Confirm both dropdowns in Advanced settings show Off after saving.
Check the Company-Level Default
If the user is set to Use company settings, the behaviour is driven by the account-level configuration, not the user record. The company default may still have auto pick-up enabled.
Go to Dashboard > Account > Settings > Automatic Pickups
Make sure both Automatically pick up dialed calls and Automatically pick up inbound calls are set to Off
Important: To disable auto pick-up for one specific user only, set that user's Advanced settings to Off rather than leaving them on Use company settings. To disable it for everyone, change the company-level setting.
Check the Phone App
If the company or user setting is Users can define themselves, the agent controls their own preference from the Phone app and may have it enabled there.
Ask the agent to open CloudTalk Phone > Settings > Calling > Call automation and check that both settings are off.
Alternatively, set the user's Dashboard preference to Off explicitly. This overrides whatever the agent has set in the app.
Look for Per-Device Overrides (SIP Devices and Softphones)
If the agent is using a SIP device (such as a physical IP phone or a third-party softphone like Zoiper or Linphone), that device may have its own auto-answer setting configured locally. CloudTalk's settings do not control third-party SIP endpoints, the override must be removed at the device level.
Check the SIP device or softphone settings for an "Auto answer", "Auto pick-up", or "Immediate answer" option and disable it.
For an overview of SIP devices and softphones supported with CloudTalk, see Using SIP devices with CloudTalk.
Still seeing the issue? If you have worked through all of the checks above and calls are still being auto-answered, contact CloudTalk Support through the Support portal with the following details: the affected agent's email, the phone number receiving the calls, and screenshots of their Advanced settings and Phone app Call automation screen.
Need help or have a question? Just reach out through our Support portal — we're here for you.